“The God we worship can save us from you and your flaming furnace” (Dan 3:17)

This is a glimpse from the American History. During the summer of 1787, the American Constitutional Convention was at gridlock. For five weeks there had been a debate and a division concerning how each state should be represented. Should larger states with larger populations have more votes, or should each state have one vote, regardless of their size? Tempers flared and the division grew wider as each side strongly defended its position. Then one day, Benjamin Franklin addressed President Washington with these words – “Mr. President… I have lived, Sir, a long time and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth — that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?” Though Franklin was not what we might call an ‘evangelical believer’, he did recognize and understand that God is in control.

God is in control of all events, as evidenced by the fact that he is sovereign over the future. God doesn’t just know what’s going to happen in the future, but actually controls future events. This counters, among other things, the false teaching known as deism. Deists believe that God has merely created the world and established certain laws by which his world works. He is like the clockmaker whose hands build the clock but are then removed from its regular operation. That is not the Bible’s view of God’s role. If it were, how could he know the future with any certainty? Instead, the Bible teaches that every event that takes place in the universe comes at the direct command of God. Consider that amazing story when Jesus tells Peter how to acquire the temple tax for the two of them. “Go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself” (Matt. 17:27). Jesus didn’t just create the fish and let it swim wherever it wanted. The only way Jesus could have done this is to direct the actions of the fish in a place that was unseen by human eyes. God directs the fish of the sea and He directs the birds of the air. Every single one of the thousands of birds that you sometimes see flying together, in a form that seems chaotic to our eyes, is directed by the command of God.

Today, our nation (Nigeria) looks like it is out of control, yet God is still on the throne. Only He knows what will eventually happen to America. As Franklin said, “God governs in the affairs of men.” This does not mean that everything that happens is according to His will. What it does mean is that even when men are living outside of the will of God, they are never beyond His control. Someone has said that history is ‘His-story.’

Child of God, remember that you are not alone. No matter the problems you are passing thru, Jesus is with you. He is the Fourth Man in the Fire! He is the God that saved Daniel from the lions. He is the God who gave old Abraham and old Sarah the son of promise, Isaac. He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our Heavenly Father too. Tell yourself this morning! ‘I am no longer a slave to fear! I am a child of God! God is in control of my life!’ Say it until you believe it! Faith and hope shall rise in your soul. The peace of Jesus will cover you as a soft blanket. Love will manifest. You are a fruitful vine! Keep praying! Endure to the end! Jesus is Lord! God is in control!

I TESTIFY ABOUT THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS

‘After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!” And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev 19:1-10)
It is my observation that most Christians are too shy when testifying about their Lord. Even when they share their testimonies, it is mostly about God’s provision for their needs on earth. Very few have the courage to declare the testimony of Jesus; what He has done for them in heaven and not only on earth. To testify about Jesus is a mighty weapon. Your testimony about Jesus and your faith in Him, is your victory crown! As you tell others how He shed His Blood for you and how He saved your soul, you defeat the devil, the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10, 11). But if you keep silent about Jesus, fearing men’s words, you give room to the devil to accuse you, to condemn you. He will bring guilt, doubts and inferiority complex in your heart. God forbid!

The testimony of Jesus spoken out is the manifestation of the spirit of prophesy, which is the power of the Holy Spirit! In Greek, the word ‘testimony’ is ‘martyria’. It means a martyr, a witness, reputation, an evidence given before the court. What does this mean? What is your responsibility as a believer? Before men and angels, you testify that Jesus is your Savior and your Lord; that He died for you. Your testimony will give glory to God and cause many to worship Him. The word ‘spirit’ is ‘pneuma’. Translated it means the wind or the breath of God. Prophesy means to declare the mind of God! It is the gift of hearing the voice of God, of communicating and enforcing revealed truth. As you declare who Jesus is in heaven and on earth, you facilitate worship. People will hear not just your words, but the voice of God, speaking thru you, telling them about the glories of His Son in heaven! As you can see, worship is more than a song. It is telling men about the glories of the Son of God!

The Book of Revelation shows us mostly things about the future, about heaven. In particular, it revels to us the Lord Jesus Christ who designed and holds our future! ‘Prophecy is not given primarily to tell you what the future holds. It is given to tell you Who holds the future—Jesus!’ (Adrian Rodgers). This is the story of two women, two brides. There is a competition among them because they desire to marry the same man. He is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! The fake bride is called ‘Babylon’. She is wicked. She is an harlot. She shall be judged and punished. With all her evil seductions, she will not be able to marry the Prince of Peace. She is made of fake religious brethren who go to church but are not born again. Their ambitious hopes and unholy dreams shall be cut off. They shall be disappointed. The righteous Bride is called ‘The Church of the living God’. She shall marry Christ. Why? Because she is already one with Him! We, the true believers, born again by the Holy Spirit, are one with Christ! Our future has been preordained before the foundation of the world. The wedding invitations between Christ and His Bride have been written with the ink of His Blood long before the earth was formed. This holy romance, our destiny, wrapped in His eternal love, have been decreed and prophesied long before man was made by God.

Our God is The judge of all. He avenges His servants. Our God is worshipped in heaven and on earth. He is the Omnipotent One. He reigns forever! People must fear our God! He has prepared a party feast for the wedding between His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, and His Bride, the Church. He has judged Babylon, the great harlot, the fake bride. God has exposed her to be a prostitute and not an innocent woman. Her power, her success as a queen and businesswoman comes thru fornication with the kings of the earth. But our God is a consuming fire! God’s judgment manifests as burning, as smoke rising eternally. Her judgment cannot be hidden. It is a true and righteous judgment. The true Bride, the Wife of Christ, is God’s choice for His Son. She is made clean thru the Blood of the Son. Christ loves her! He has openly declared His love on the Cross of Calvary! The Bride has made herself ready. Her righteous acts have become her wedding dress, made for royal beauty, reward and honor. The wedding and union between the Bride and Christ will result in great joy in heaven, expressed in loud songs of praise, bowing down in worship and by the word of our testimony!

We must testify that Jesus Christ is our Lord! We must testify that He has died for us and changed our hearts. We must testify that we are one with Christ; that we were crucified with Him, died with Him, buried with Him and resurrected with Him (Rom 6:1-10). We are now seated in heavenly places with Christ (Eph 2:6). This unity is eternal and cannot be destroyed. We are sure of our salvation and of the hope of our glory! We are sure of our wedding day! We openly testify to this unbroken eternal glorious love and unity! We are not ashamed to testify to the manifestation of God’s grace!

Someone may ask, “If verse 7 says that the Bride made herself ready, why does heaven cry, ‘Give God the glory’?” The answer is given in verse 8: “It was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.” So how did the Bride make herself ready? By putting on fine linen, bright and pure. And what is the fine linen? The righteous deeds of the saints. But how did the saints come to do these deeds? By what power or means did the Bride of Christ clothe herself with fine linen? Answer (v. 8): “It was granted her to be clothed with fine linen.” By whom? By God. Did you hear that? God has ‘granted’ us our wedding dress! God has designed and granted to you your wedding dress! You do your righteous deeds, and therefore it is fitting that heaven cry out: “The Bride has made herself ready.” But we do not do them in our own strength. They are a gift from God—prepared before the foundation of the world that we might walk in them. ‘For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them’ (Eph 2:10). And therefore, it is even more fitting that heaven cry out, “Give God the glory.” Just imagine yourself, the Bride of Christ, saved by your Bridegroom’s Blood, and dressed in the good works you have done in His name, and for His glory, entering the celestial wedding hall! Your Groom is waiting… Oh, the Hope of glory! Can you testify to this revelation? Your Groom says that if you openly acknowledge now that He is your Husband, He too will testify in heaven that you are His Bride (Mt 10:32).

Finally, In Christ, I boldly declare:
*I will speak of Your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame’ (Ps 119:46)
*In my heart, I honor You, Christ my Lord! You are holy! I will testify about You and tell people what You have done for me, how You have given me this hope of glory! (1Pet 3:15)
*My God, You have given me eternal life! I found this life in God’s Son, Jesus Christ!’ (1Jn 5:11)
*I let my light shine before men so that they see my good works and give glory to You, my heavenly Father’ (Mt 5: 16)
*I am baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit! Therefore, I have the power to testify about You, my Lord! I bear witness, because I have been with Christ from the beginning (Ac 1:5, 8; Jn 15:27)
*My Lord has called me and taken me into the heavenly Banqueting Hall and His banner over me is love unfailing! (SS 2:4).

This is my Pledge! This is my Vow! This is my Testimony, Oh, my Lord and my God! I worship You now and forever!
“Oh, come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!”

“I know all the birds…” (Ps 50:11)
We lived in our former home for thirty years. Last Sunday we re-located. There was a silent wish in my heart. I did not want to share it with anyone for, among so many more important things to do, it seems like nothing. But this is a true story. Our children can confirm it. Since they were small, there is a bird who always sings a very complicated song on the roof of our house. She was our ‘clock’ in the morning. Her song starts at 6:10 and ends at 6:15. It is the same song, perfect each time, never missing a beat. It is something like that: DO-LA-SOL-FA-MI-RE D0…. She repeats that many times. Then she ends with SOL-LA-SOL-LAA-SOOOOL-LAAAA…LAAAAAAA….

I read somewhere that birds sing in the morning to find a mate and to declare their territory. The scientists said that early morning, when the air is fresh, and before the humans come with their loud noises, the sound of the birds travels faster. This is science. But for me, the birds belong to God and they praise Him early in the morning. They challenge us to remember our Maker and ‘from the rising of the sun, until the going down of the same’, to praise God!

My sadness was that I left my birds (sorry, God’s birds) behind. I only told my husband that I wish the birds come here. He encouraged me that God can do it! Thank God for believing and encouraging husbands!

The first three mornings in our new house we woke up without their songs. Can you imagine? I really missed them! But this night we slept with the windows open so that we can hear if there is even a whisper of praise at dawn, from the little birds. I am too excited to write well this morning. Yes, you guessed right! The birds are here!!! I do not know if the same family of birds followed us or God sent their relatives to our new home. But the birds, singing exactly the same tune, at exactly the same time, the birds are here!!! Is God not wonderful? He is sooo wonderful to me!!! God answers our most secret prayers!

Little birds, let’s sing the love songs of Jesus! Let’s declare that this territory belongs to Jesus! God’s name must be praised! We declare that Jesus is Lord over Warri and Effurun, Nigeria! We declare that Jesus is the Lover of our souls! The praise must continue!

“Father, I thank You! From my heart, I thank You! For caring for us, for knowing our silent pains and unspoken wishes, I thank You! For answering our prayers, more than we can imagine, I thank You! For the many blessings that come from You, always without sorrow, big or small, I thank You! For the flowers and the birds, I thank You! For the privilege to know and praise Your Name, I Thank You! For sending Your Love to us, I thank You! Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I thank You! We vow to always give You alone all the glory! In Jesus’ name we pray, amen!”

(This article was written in October 2015, as we moved to our present house)

This is the story of the richest man in the world, the very first person to reach the status of billionaire.
By age 25 John D. Rockefeller controlled one of the largest oil refineries in the nation.
By age 31 he had become the world’s largest oil refiner.
By age 38 he commanded 90% of the oil refined in the U.S.
By the time of his retirement at age 58, he was the richest man in the country.
By the time he died, he had become the richest man in the world.

As a young man, every decision, attitude, and relationship was tailored to create his personal power and wealth. But at the age of 53 he became ill. His entire body became racked with pain and he lost all of his hair. In complete agony, the world’s only billionaire could buy anything he wanted, but he could only digest milk and crackers. An associate wrote, “He could not sleep, would not smile and nothing in life meant anything to him.” His personal, highly skilled physicians predicted he would die within a year. That year passed agonizingly slow. As he approached death he awoke one morning with the vague remembrances of a dream about not being able to take any of his successes with him into the next world. The man who could control the business world suddenly realized he was not in control of his own life. He was left with a choice. He called his attorneys, accountants, and managers and announced that he wanted to channel his assets to hospitals, research, and mission work. He attended the Baptist Church. He was faithful working for God in the church, a humble man, cleaning the house of God, until he died!

On that day John D. Rockefeller established his foundation. This new direction eventually led to the discovery of penicillin, cures for malaria, tuberculosis and diphtheria. But perhaps the most amazing part of Rockefeller’s story is that the moment he began to give back a portion of all that he had earned, his body’s chemistry was altered so significantly that he got better. It looked as if he would die at 53 but he lived to be 98. Rockefeller learned gratitude and gave back the vast majority of his wealth. Doing so made him whole. It is one thing to be healed. It is another to be made whole. Before his died he wrote this in his dairy:

‘I was early taught to work as well as play,
My life has been one long, happy holiday;
Full of work and full of play—
I dropped the worry on the way—
And God was good to me everyday!

(In the picture, John D Rockefeller as an old man)

“And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ (Deut 20:3, 4)
The greatest enemy is internal. It is called fear! Cowards betray the vision of victory. Fear is a plaque; it is highly infectious. If tolerated, it spreads quickly to the whole army. Fear is like leaven in the flour, it corrupts the whole lump. The only Word that gives courage to fight to the end is this: ‘God is with you!’ If God is with us, we are the majority. It is the presence of God that decrees the victory. A. W. Tozer said: “It is not the praying or fighting sheep that the wolf fears. It is the presence of the Shepherd in their midst”
In Christ I declare:
I reject the fear of battle and the doubt of victory! I am led from triumph to triumph! I conquer more and more territories for my King! The truth is marching on! I dedicate all my spoils of war to my King. Let Christ use them all for His glory! I rejoice in the leading of Jesus Christ my Lord! The anointing of the Holy Spirit on me teaches me all things and destroys all yokes of bondage in my life! The truth of the Bible has set me free! My Commander has never lost any battle! Me too, I will never lose following Him!
In Jesus’ name, Amen!
(From The Doe of the morning by Silvia Lia Leigh)

“By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned” (Heb 11:29)

Faith has the power to get you to the other side; from prayer to praise; from prison to palace; from weeping to worship; from trials to testimonies! Faith is a shield. Faith separates you from your enemies. Faith quenches the fiery arrows of the enemy. Faith covers and protects the heart! Faith pleases God! Faith is rewarded by God! Faith believes in the God of miracles! Even when you don’t see the victory, faith is working ‘behind the scenes’! Faith 100%! Doubt 0%!

Whatever is your problem today, let’s pray with faith that God will answer: “Dear Heavenly Father, when the way is blocked before me and an army of circumstances closes in behind me, help me to stand by faith, looking to You to open a way where there seems to be no way. Abba Father, You have done it in the past! Do it again! Lord Jesus, I want to follow You, asking You to lead me where my enemies cannot go! Holy Spirit, lead the way! I follow You! I Thank You Father God for this miracle, for the mighty breakthrough, for the healing and for the provision! in Jesus’ name, Amen”

“A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds.
Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it.
Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long…
She doesn’t worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear… She always faces tomorrow with a smile…” (PV 31:10-31; TM)
There are many stones all over the place but ‘diamonds’ are few, buried in the ground and hard to find. In the same way, there are many women in this world, but a genuine godly, faithful woman is ‘hard to find’. This is not my opinion, but it is the Word of God. It is not enough to be a woman. It is not enough to be called a Christian woman. It is not enough to go to church. To be a godly woman it takes the grace of God. You need to be born again and Spirit filled. You need to study the Word of God and apply it daily. You need to serve God in any capacity. What are some of the qualities of this woman of God?
*She is trustworthy! To be trustworthy it means that she is worthy of your trust. You can open your heart to her, tell her your secrets and she will help you solve your problems. She will pray for you. She has passed thru many trials herself and has come out shining like gold. She is a spiritual leader pointing you to Jesus. She is dependable. She is a solid honest trusted friend. She will not betray your confidence. She is not fake. She will not lie to you. She will not cheat, deceive, exploit or manipulate you.
She is trustworthy in small and big things. Jesus said: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” (Lk 16:10). People in general trust her. But her husband trusts her in particular! For a married woman, this is the greatest human approval. Friends and relatives can trust you, but none knows you better than your husband. If the whole world says that you are a good woman. but your husband says that you are not-submissive, greedy, stubborn, lazy and proud, take it that he may be right. Truth is painful but truth sets free! Pray that you may humble yourself and change!
*Secondly, the godly woman has faith in God, especially during the trials of life. During winter it is very cold. If you are not well dressed and do not have a house, you die of cold. This woman does not worry during the cold of winter. This is because her husband and her children are well dressed, covered with the clothes she has provided for them during the summer (the hot season). She has a strategy how to face the hard times in the future. She is wise and prudent. She is not afraid of the future because Jesus is with her and ‘He is the same yesterday, today and forever’! (Heb 13:8).
This is a practical question: as women of God how do we face the trials of life?
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (Jam 1:2-8)
According to the Word of God, trials will come to us. No matter how much you pray, you cannot avoid all the troubles, trials and temptations. Thru applying the Word of God and prayer, you must be prepared for them in advance. The first thing James tells us is that ‘we should count it all joy when you fall into various trials’. This is a hard command. This is not the natural response when somebody insults you. The natural reaction is to insult back or to curse the enemy. But we are commanded to count it all joy. What does it mean? It means that we must face trials having God in mind. We must see the trial thru the eyes of God! This ‘joy’ is not a natural happiness. It is a supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit in your heart. Why count it all joy? Because Jesus is with you right now, in the middle of your pain. His presence comes with ‘fullness of joy’. This joy is a reaction of faith! By faith I trust that, thru this trial, God works something for His glory and for my good! I do not trust myself or my enemy. But I trust Jesus, the Forth Man in the furnace! We are in it together! Testimonies must follow the trial! That alone is enough for me to count this pain as joy! I see that thru this trial God is changing me. He makes me ‘perfect lacking nothing’. He makes me spiritually strong and fruitful. You cannot be a woman of God without passing thru these trials. You learn patience. You learn the value of wisdom. You learn that God’s grace with you is enough. The fire of the trial will burn the doubts and the fears. You will learn that the great scripture that says: ‘all things work together for good’ (Rom 8:28) is true not just in the Bible but ‘works’ in your experience. You learn to walk by faith and not by sight! You learn to walk with God. You learn to be a Friend of God! Glory! May God bless you as you obey His Word! In Jesus’ name! Amen!

“Do not neglect the gift that is in you!” (1Tim 4:14)
The Stradivarius Society of Chicago performs an important role in the music world. The society entrusts expensive violins into the hands of world-class violin players who could never afford them on their own. Stradivarius violins produce an incomparably rich sound and sell for millions of dollars and are highly sought after by investors. These violins were made by the Italian Antonius Stradivarius and his family, during the 17th and 18th centuries. Since then, nobody could make violins with a better sound. His secret of making violins cannot be explained till today. With all the present technology no one has made a violin who sounds better than a Stradivarius. The price for one is more than $15 million U.S. dollars.
“But great violins are not like works of art”, writes music critic John von Rhein. “They were never meant to be hung on a wall or locked up under glass. Any instrument will lose its tone if it isn’t played regularly; conversely, an instrument gains its value the more it us used.” And so it is that those who own the world’s greatest violins are looking for first-rate violin players to use them. The Stradivarius Society brings them together, making sure the instruments are preserved and cared for. One further requirement made by these investors is that the musician will give the owner at least two command performances a year.
Like the Stradivarius Society, God entrusts exquisite “violins” into the care of others. The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts of great value, which remain His property. He wants them to be used. They’re doing no good if they’re hanging on a wall somewhere. God delights to hear beautiful music coming from them. He wants us to play for him. Are you using the gifts He’s given you to use?

“May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high [and defend you]; send you help from the sanctuary and support, refresh, and strengthen you from Zion” (Ps 20:1; 2; AMP)
This is the promise of Jehovah, the Self-Existent One. He is the only Living God who needs nothing from outside His Person to exist eternally! This is His pledge: to be with you when you are in in trouble; when you are under attack, alone and sick, abandoned or in pain….when lawyers abandon your case for ‘lack of evidence’… when doctors cannot find the source of your fever… when friends forsake you and the neighbors mock you… when you are ‘too old’ to marry and ‘too barren’ to have a child… when your need is greater than the supply… when hell has found your address and is ready to pay to kill… when prayer ‘does not work’ and the inspiration for singing has dried…
“Holy Spirit, please, come down!!!”
May God who wrote your name in the Book of Life remember you, help you, support, refresh and strengthen you! May God disappoint your fears, melt your doubts, arrest your sickness, fight against your oppressors and overturn the tables! May the power of praise in worship in Zion locate you and ignite a fresh holy fire in you! May the hand of God lift you up, far above the reach of all your enemies! May the increase of God’s kingdom include your home! May you see your children’ children! May you rejoice always, for God is with you! To the Glory of God who can never fail!
In Christ I declare:
I have seen the downfall of satan!
My trouble shall become my testimony!
I shall always praise and worship the God of my salvation, healing and deliverance!
God is my ever present Help in times of need!
Zion is my hometown forever!
Revival is my portion!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen!

Thomas Jefferson (1743- 1826) was the third president of the United Sates of America. Thomas Jefferson was a rich, educated American politician. He penned the Declaration of Independence and is widely considered one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States of America.

Some modern scholarship has been critical of Jefferson’s private life, finding a contradiction between his ownership of the large numbers of slaves that worked his plantations and his famous declaration that “all men are created equal”. Although the matter remains a subject of debate, most historians believe that Jefferson had a sexual relationship with his slave Sally Hemings, a mixed-race woman who was a half-sister to his late wife, and that he fathered at least one of her children. Presidential scholars and historians generally praise Jefferson’s public achievements, including his advocacy of religious freedom and tolerance in Virginia. Jefferson continues to rank highly among U.S. presidents.

What many do not know is that he wrote his own Bible. Jefferson viewed Jesus as strictly human. He said that he is a Christian but he did not believe in miracles or in the supernatural. He said that Jesus Christ was a true teacher from God but not the Son of God. Jefferson viewed Jesus as a great moral teacher but believed that His claims to deity and the stories of His miracles were later agenda-driven additions by Jesus’ followers. He cut off from the Bible any passage about the miracles of Christ, His resurrection, His prophecies or passages about angels. He published the Bible without all these words. His original copy can be seen at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC (see below). Historically, Thomas Jefferson was a great man. But according the original Bible, he is a fool! “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God” (Ps 14:1)… How sad…

What is the truth? The Truth is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity! Jehovah in the Old Testament is Jesus Christ in the New Testament! Listen to Peter!  “Jesus asked Peter: “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”… “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (Mt 16:13-17)

Jefferson died deeply in debt, unable to pass on his estate freely to his heirs. He gave instructions in his will for disposal of his assets, including the freeing of his female slave Sally Hemings’s children. But his estate, possessions, and slaves were sold at public auctions. How sad…

J. Paul Getty, the oil man, was a billionaire–and proud of it. He was at one time considered the world’s richest man, but during the most active years in his business, he lived alone in a 72-room mansion outside London. Over a 25-year period, he had married and divorced five women. “I hate to be a failure,” he said. “I would gladly give all my millions for just one, lasting marital success.”
He lived a lonely life. One of his ex wives said that he loved his business too much and had no time for family or people. How sad…
Proud men hate humility. Did you know that? The proud men hate and fear the humble people. Why? Because they hate to be seen as low, needy and empty. Proud people are ambitious. They are never satisfied with what they have. They always want something more, something else. Humble people are real. Proud men live in a fantasy world boasting to others that they are rich and great. Humble men love to serve others. They make good friends. They are good listeners. They make wonderful leaders. They love to learn and are not ashamed to ask questions to improve their knowledge. Proud men hide their ignorance and pretend to be great. Humble men are never worried about what others say. They need to prove nothing to nobody. Proud men are restless and worried; never at peace and never truly happy! What type of person are you?
The best example of humility we have is of course, our Lord Jesus Christ, who left heaven’s glory to live on earth and die as a Man on the Cross. He wants to be your Savior and your Teacher. Listen to Him: ‘Take My yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls!’ (Mt 11:29)… Oh, that you hear these blessed words! Oh, that you might believe! I pray for you …

“For the Lord your God is He who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory” (Deut 20:4)
The battle was fierce but the victory is mine. O…sweet peace…
If you are a born again believer, in whatever situation, you are always the winner. This is not just my wish for you… It is God’s Word! Victory manifests in many ways, but all these ways have something in common. They spread the sweet powerful fragrance of Christ, the Eternal Victor. In times of trials the devil attacks with lies, mostly the idea that the battle will rage on forever and there shall be no clear winner. These are all lies!! The weeping may endure for the night, but morning is faithful to displace the power of darkness, with the songs of joy leading the transition.
At the Cross, the devil rejoiced to see the Son of Man defeated and humiliated. What he did not know was that ‘the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength’. Who said that? God says so! (Read 1 Cor 1:25). Jesus died for our sins, that we may be forgiven, healed and changed, to become the sons of God. If the devil knew that the death of Christ will become the tree of life for so many, he would not have killed the King of glory. But now it is too late, for the power of resurrection has destroyed even the memory of the evil power and shame of failure and death. Too late for the devil…
Child of God, Yes, there is a battle you have to fight. You can’t avoid it. For every spiritual gain, there must be a confrontation with ‘the strong man’ who keeps men in slavery. Do not beg the devil. He will not listen to your begging! Put on the whole armor of God and confront him! Engage him in battle and in the name of Jesus you shall win. God is on your side! Heaven backs you up. You have nothing to fear! You have nothing to lose! The victory is clear and sure. You shall not suffer indefinitely, you shall not weep unto the end. Sickness, failure, poverty, shame, rejection, slander… these evils do not last forever. God will not allow the power of the devil to continue in your life. It is morning time, victory time…the flag of the Cross is raised on the royal castle…the prisoners are free… the worship continues… The sound of revival is heard in this land! Be encouraged by the Holy Spirit! It is well with you!

During the Sunday service, Pastor Richmond Leigh preached on the theme ‘Power from on high’. His main text was taken from the Book of Luke: “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased”… “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high… (Lk 3:21, 22; Lk 24:49; NKJ).

He said that as a church, we are entering a new season, into a higher level of anointing. We need to be Baptized and Filled with the Holy Spirit. Nobody knows all the functions of the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. The major work of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ! He reveals Him to us; opens our eyes to His Majesty so that we can worship Him. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth and helps us believe and understand the Word of God.

Pastor Richmond Leigh said that it is possible to be born again and not be baptized with the Holy Spirit. It is true that no one can be saved without the work of the Holy Spirit in his soul (Rom 8:9). One of the secret works of the Holy Spirit is that of convicting a man of his sins, of enlighten him about his spiritual state and his need for the Savior. The Holy Spirit does the work of regeneration; therefore, the sinner becomes born again. As you can see, salvation is always a miracle. Without this deep and secret work of the Holy Spirit, a man may become religious, he may go to church, but he is not saved. The Holy Spirit does not force anyone to be saved. He is a gentle but powerful influence on the soul. Thank God for the humility of the Holy Spirit, willing to do this secret work in the heart of man without apparently coercing him! Glory to God for our salvation!

This is a fact: a man can be born again and not be filled or baptized with the Holy Spirit. It is only a child of God that can be baptized with the Holy Spirit. The sinner must repent and come to Jesus, for salvation. This is the first step in God’s wonderful work called salvation! The natural man cannot receive the Holy Spirit, he cannot please God because his mind is enmity against God. For the unbeliever, the spiritual things are foolishness. He cannot understand or appreciate them. He cannot worship God! But to us, the children of God, we hunger and thirst for more of the Holy Spirit. We want to know the ‘deep things of God’ revealed thru the Holy Spirit!

One of the symbols of The Holy Spirit is the water. The effect of the water is that it wets you or it quenches your thirst. There are degrees of these effects. For example, the rain drizzling outside. A man goes in the rain. After some time, he will get wet. But if the rain is torrential, he will get wet faster. If a man drinks a cup of water, he will be filled (gets wet) in the inside. But if a man is dipped into the ocean, he will become ‘wet’ instantly both outside and inside. He will be overwhelmed by the water. All these illustrations, show degrees of ‘wetness’ from the same water. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is when a child of God is suddenly immersed in the ocean of the Holy Spirit by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit and fire! It is a unique, specific and powerful experience! Your life will never be the same again. You shall receive ‘power from on high’! You shall receive boldness to preach the Word of God, to witness for Jesus! You shall receive an unshakable assurance that you are saved forever! Once again, it is done by the resurrected Christ, the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit and fire!

These are vital questions we all must answer: ‘Are you born again? Are you baptized in water? Are you baptized with the Holy Spirit?’ As we are seeking to be baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, the best example and perfect model we have is that of our Lord. The first thing we see is that He humbly submitted to the Baptism in water performed by John the Baptist. Jesus was sinless. He did not need to repent and be baptized but He said that ‘it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness’. He did it to identify with us, the sinners He came to save. During His baptism the voice of the Father confirmed His pleasure in His Son. The Holy Spirit came on Him in a bodily form as a dove. We see here the Trinity revealed on earth (Mt 3:15-17). After His water baptism, and filed with the Holy Spirit, the Lord was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He overcame all the temptations as a Man filled with the Holy Spirit. The devil failed to distract the Lord from God’s purpose for His life. He did it on our behalf that we may share in His victory. At the end of forty days He came out from the wilderness in the power of the Spirit (Lk 4:1-13).

Immediately after His victory over the devil’s temptation, The Lord Jesus Christ started His public ministry among men. He thought the Word of God in the synagogues. He preached the Gospel of salvation. He delivered the ones possessed by demons. He healed the sick. But what amazed everybody was His words! ‘All bore witness to Him and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth… they were astonished at His teaching for His word was with authority’ (Lk 4:22, 32). The people were amazed especially at the power, authority and boldness in His words. This power is surely the result of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is our Lord’s command: “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him” (Jn 6:27). This seal He is talking about is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Lord was baptized with the Holy Spirit so that He can baptize others who believe in Him!

Apostle Paul commands us to ‘walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh’ He said that the flesh fights against the filling of the Holy Spirit. The flesh does not want to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. We must mortify the deeds of the flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul says that ‘if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law’. In the presence of the Holy Spirit there is liberty, peace and fulness of joy (Psalm 16:11; Gal 5:16-18; 2Cor 3:17). Praise the Lord!

In the same way, we must seek to be baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit! The power of the Holy Spirit is necessary to do ministry. In fact, without the Holy Spirit ministry is not possible! Preaching is intimately connected with the Power of the Holy Spirit. ’Preaching’ without the Holy Spirit is called ‘lecturing’. It does not have the power to touch and change men’s hearts. More than money and happiness on earth, you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will lead you to places you have never been before. He will give you favor among men! The Holy Spirit will embolden you to preach and teach the Word of God with authority. Your words will be like arrows piercing men’s consciences. They will not be able to forget your words. They will repent and be saved. The Holy Spirit will help you to walk in the plan and the purpose of God. You will be able to resist and overcome the devil’s temptations. The Holy Spirit will give you divine wisdom. You will walk in victory! You will grow from grace to grace and from strength to strength. May the Holy Spirit move you! Be filled with the Holy Spirit! Worship the Lord!

The subject of material prosperity and poverty is something that interests everybody. I am speaking only to believers! As children of God we must have the mind of Christ. We must view everything thru the eyes of Christ, as it is revealed in the Word of God. Concerning the doctrine of material prosperity there is a danger. We must avoid and reject the worldly way of preaching prosperity. We must also avoid and reject the preaching of poverty as it is done in some cults. We do not love or hate money! We love God and hate the devil! The Holy Spirit shall lead us safely into the whole truth. “We need You Holy Spirit!”

There are more ‘poor people’ in this world than the ones called ‘wealthy’. But poverty is relative. A hut in your village may be a palace in my village. Let me be more practical… There is something called ‘poverty mentality’. It is a spiritual evil stronghold in your mind. If you are ignorant about it, it will stay there in you for a lifetime. It will affect your thinking in general and the ability to make money in particular. It may have been planted in your youth. It is the devil’s seed. As a child of God, you need to discover this evil plantation, uproot it and destroy it. The Word of God has greater authority than any idea, imagination or theory in your mind! This stronghold affects the rich and the poor, the educated and the illiterate. It is a spiritual structure that forms a hindrance in your mind when you want to think about material prosperity in life.

These are some of the characteristics of poverty mentality type of stronghold in the mind:
*You think that money should not be spent; money should be kept in ‘fix deposit’; you hate spending money; you feel bad and guilty after spending money
*You think that the opportunities to make money are limited
*You think that taking risk to start a business is dangerous
*You think that material success is temporary and non-replicable
*Generally, you choose to stay at ‘the back of the pack’; when it comes to finances you choose to follow than to lead others into a greater level of prosperity;
*You fear that you’ll never be able to save money; that you will never make more money than you need
*You are silently jealous on others who have more money than you;
*You love being on a form of welfare plan and you do not plan to stop it; you love receiving ‘free money’ from others
*You daydream, you fantasize being rich ‘one day’, like wining the lottery; that one day ‘you hammer’ (as we say in Nigeria)
*Your mind set concerning prosperity: you are a consumer and not a creator!
*You have inferiority complex (feeling apologetic, anxious or guilty) when it comes to your finances.
*You see the world through the lenses of the poor people who hate the rich!
*You see wealth as a mysterious stranger who is mocking you from afar! For you to stay poor is easier than making money!

This is the Word of God: “A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest… then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber” (PV 6:10, 11)
In the Bible, Poverty is described as an armed robber that attacks you in the night, when you sleep! Do you love sleep? Pray about that toxic love, that you may have the courage to confront it and reject it! Sleep is a good servant but a bad, selfish master. Do not take sleeping pills! Too much sleep is a sign of sickness, depression or laziness and it will end in poverty. Do you fear armed men coming to attack you at night? The attack of poverty is worse than an EK47. Poverty is a spiritual bandit. It attacks when you sleep, when you relax too much, when you are not watchful and prayerful (ask Samson, he will tell you..) Once poverty pounces on you, it will chain your feet, your hands, your eyes and your mind. It will make you it’s prisoner, it’s servant. It will carry you to it’s smelly dungeon and steal all your dreams. It will kill the wonder of worship. It will destroy the romance of worship. You will not be able to move on in life, to make progress. Your hands will be too weak to do any work. You become easily tired, bored or restless. You will be blind to many opportunities to invest and make money. You will be foolish, fearful and confused when it comes to financial decisions. God forbid! I pray for you…

Let’s pray: “Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word of life. We thank You for the revelation of the root of this poverty mentality and bondage. We take the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and we destroy every chain or stronghold binding our minds concerning God’s material blessings. Holy Spirit please take control! Open our eyes to see the freedom and the blessings (spiritual and natural) we have in Christ! We declare that the anointing of the Spirit destroys all yokes of bondage, all wrong ways of thinking! We declare that from this moment on, by the grace of God, we shall make spiritual and natural (visible) progress in life! Our testimony is to the glory of God! The waited season of change has come! We arise and shine for the glory of God is risen upon us! Thank You Father God! In Jesus’ name we pray, amen!”

“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates! Give her credit for what she has accomplished, and let her works praise her in the city gates” (PV 31:30, 31)

The godly woman shall be praised by her husband, children and other people. This is the Promise of God! We all desire to be acknowledged, recognized and praised. But there is a danger! There are two types of ‘praise’: flattery and true recognition. Flattery is to be rejected and true recognition for the glory of God should be welcomed.

1/ Flattery is insincere praise. It is sinful, deceptive and manipulative. It is to be rejected. When someone flatters you, he wants to get access to your emotions, to bring you into bondage. You should be watchful with people that flatter you. Avoid these ‘friends. Flattery is a spiritual poisonous bribe! Once you believe it, you become blind to the Spiritual realm and your words will become twisted (Deut 16:19). To be ‘twisted’ it means to become corrupt, to turn into another direction. Bribe will change the meaning of the words you speak or hear. People will always misinterpret what you say. That is the effect of taking or giving bribes and of wicked flattery. I forbid it! (Read Deut 16:19; PV 29:5; Rom 16:17, 18)

2/True praise, acknowledgment and recognition is promised to the godly woman. This holy praise is peculiar. It is done based on the godly woman’s labors and achievements. As you can see, this praise is not instant. It comes late, when you are older, after a lifetime of doing good to others, to the glory of God. Let me be more practical. Do you want to hear good words of praise coming from your husband, children and many other people? Do you want to hear that your business, the work of your hands, has been blessed by God? Do you want to hear people saying that you have used part of your profit to bless them? That you have used the money you made to do good not only to your children, but to many others? There are some conditions… You need to work hard. You also need to remain humble, faithful and patient to the end. Then you shall taste of this special praise given ‘at the city gates.’ Gates speak of entrance into a place. It means that this praise of your labor is given not only on earth, but on the day of the judgment of the saints, when labors shall be rewarded by God. The judgment of labors is the gate to reward and glory in heaven! This great praise based on works comes because you fear the Lord! (Read Ex 20:20; PV 9:10; PV 10:27; PV 14:26, 27)

What does it mean to fear God? To fear the Lord is to take Him seriously. To fear God is godly wisdom. We revere His power and His glory! We respect His wrath! We recognize that He is God and we are not! By the fear of God, you become wise, bold, strong, generous and compassionate. You hate and run away from sin. You run towards God! You live in the presence of God! The good fear of God destroys the bad fear of untimely death. You will live long and well. If you fear God, you and your children will be safe and blessed in life. You will not fear the future. You will rejoice every day in what God has done and is He is doing in your life and your family!

Do you want people to call you a woman of God and to praise your achievements? I know that you desire that praise! I do, too! May it come to us! May this wonderful promised praise manifested at the city gates be our portion! In Jesus’ name! Amen!

(This message was preached at the Women’s Fellowship in our church. In the picture a sister worshipping God during the service)

Victim mentality is a psychological term that refers to a type of dysfunctional mindset which seeks to feel persecuted in order to gain attention or avoid self-responsibility. People who struggle with the victim mentality are convinced that life is not only beyond their control but is out to deliberately hurt them. This belief results in constant blame, finger-pointing, and pity parties that are fueled by pessimism, fear, and anger. A victim is defined as anyone who experiences injury or loss as a result of some event or series of events. The desire for sympathy is crucial. The mere experience of a harmful event is not enough for the sense of being a victim. In order to have this sense, there is the need to perceive the harm as undeserved, unjust and immoral, an act that could not be prevented by the victim.
People like these see life in a negative way. They feel that they were harmed, that they could not prevent the harm, that because of what they suffered they deserve sympathy. They also believe that because they could not prevent the harm done in the past, they are powerless to change themselves at the present. Victim mentality is often the product of violence. Those who have it usually had an experience of crisis or trauma at its roots. The problem is that they did not process their pain in the right way. It’s a method of avoiding responsibility and criticism, receiving attention, compassion and evading feelings of genuine anger. A person with a victim mentality blames others for their misfortunes in life. They gain a little relief from receiving sympathy from others. That is why they always complain about their problems. They are afraid to take any risk. Because of that, they are not adventurous. They are unwilling to take even small risks. They are afraid to walk by faith. They prefer to stay in the comfort zone of their negativity. They seem too weak to change their feelings. They have a sense of helplessness, passivity, loss of control, pessimism, negative thinking, strong feelings of guilt, shame, self-blame and depression. There is a distrust of authority figures because of the expectation of being hurt or exploited by them. If you talk to these people, they give the impression that God does is as helpless as them, that He cannot answer prayers. Be careful! They use their needs as manipulation to exploit the feelings of others. They often say: “I can’t… I must… I have no choice… I don’t know …” If you desire to help them, you will see no improvement!
If you want to discover the truth, if you have this victim mentality, answer the following questions:
*Do you see your problems as catastrophes and blow them out of proportion; the world is a scary, mostly bad, place?
*Do you think others are purposely trying to hurt you?
*Do you keep reliving past painful memories that made you feel like a victim?
*Even when things go right, do you find something to complain about?
*Do you refuse to consider other perspectives when talking about your problems?
*Do you feel powerless and unable to cope effectively with a problem or life in general?
*Do you feel attacked when you’re given constructive criticism?
*Do you believe you’re not responsible for what happens in your life (blaming others)?
*Do you believe that everyone is “better off” than you?
*Do you seem to enjoy feeling sorry for yourself?
*Do you attract people like you (who complain, blame, and feel victimized by life)?
*Do you feel powerless to change your circumstances? Are you’re constantly putting yourself down thru inferiority complexes?
*Do you expect to gain sympathy from others, and when you don’t get it, you feel upset?
*Do you refuse to analyze yourself or improve your life?
If you answer yes to most of these questions, you may have a victim mentality!
What is the solution? First, give your life to Christ! Then be filled with the Holy Spirit! Forgive your enemies. Let the past and its pain go! Pray! Move on into the grace you have found in Christ!! Desire to experience a changed life, a changed heart. Trust God and His Word. Serve God in a good church. Overcome evil with the good you have found in Christ! Your life should not be defined by the past pain or hurt! Let the Holy Spirit design your life in a new way! Be a blessing to yourself and others! Live a life of thanksgiving! Worship the Lord!
“Change my heart, Oh, Lord! Make it ever new!
Change my heart, Oh, Lord! May I be like You!
You are the Potter! I am the clay!
Mold me and make me!
This is what I pray!”

My name is Silvia Lia Leigh. I was born in Romania more than sixty five years ago. At that time Romania was a communist country. Religion was forbidden. We were thought in school that God does not exist; that religion is for the poor illiterate people. I believed that! I grew up in a loving family of four. My parents were teachers in the school which I attended with my younger sister; Adica. My father was also the principal of the school. My parents thought us by example to be kind, respectful, humble and hard working. We did not believe in God and we did not attend church.

In 1973 I got admission into the Medical School in Timisoara. In my first year I met my husband Richmond, a Nigerian. We were class mates. We fell in love and against all odds we got married. After graduation, in 1980, we moved to Nigeria. We became very successful as medical practitioners. We started a private hospital in Warri Nigeria called “Lily Clinic”. We were very happy. We had three children. We had money and fame. What else could one possibly want? Nothing! Or so I thought…

In 1986 I had a crisis conversion. I met the Lord Jesus Christ. This was purely the grace of God in action because we did not attend any church. This is how it happened…. Before coming to Nigeria I have not seen a Bible. In January of the same year, I became very depressed. I saw nothing good in all my achievements. I even lost my desire to live. This was very strange because I was always an optimistic person. The mysterious depression started after ‘accidentally’ I read a scripture on a pamphlet: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). I did not know who Jeremiah was. The scripture was not explained. But after I read it once, I just could not forget it. It seems like the words got stamped in my mind. I tried to forget it but I could not. After reading it I started thinking of God. I fought the thought but I failed. It was like He was calling me. I panicked… I have never prayed in my life. Can I start now? A voice said: ‘It is too late for you. Don’t pray!’ Another voice said the opposite: ‘It is never too late to pray. God loves you!’ These voices made me crazy. What voice I am supposed to believe?

Finally, I made my choice. For the very first time in my life, I prayed. It was 14th of March 1986. I said: “God, if You exist, then come down from heaven and change my heart. Make me Your friend! I am tired of doubting You. I am tired of fighting you. But please God, I can’t wait forever for the answer to this prayer. I give You ‘a month’s notice’ to come down from heaven and change my heart. If You come, I promise to be Your friend forever. But if You chose not to come, then let me die in peace. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen!” I did not know the meaning of the name ‘Jesus’ but I heard people pray like that so I guessed it was the appropriate end to a prayer. Immediately I knew that something ‘good’ had happened to me. Not certain of what, I felt a sense of destiny coming down enveloping my soul.

On the 12th of April, 28 days after this ‘a month’s notice’ prayer, the Holy Spirit came and filled my hungry heart. Like an invisible blood transfusion, I felt LIFE entering my veins. I was alone in the sitting room when this event happened. It was much later that I knew it was called ‘the baptism of the Holy Spirit’. I became a child of God, never to be the same again. I started reading the Bible like a mad woman. This hunger for the Word for God and for prayer continues without interruptions until now. After some time, my husband became saved also. We sold our private clinic and together, we are now in full time ministry. We are the founders and the senior pastors of Father’s House Bible Church in Warri, Nigeria. To God alone be all the glory!

May this testimony ignite in you the desire to be truly saved or to experience revival! In Jesus’ name, amen!

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh

Recently, my husband and I (and some brethren from our church) we had an interesting trip to South Korea and Japan. We visited many beautiful places in these countries. Today I shall tell you some of my observations about the city of Nagasaki, Japan. Since I was a child, I heard that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by atomic bombs at the end of the second world war. I was excited to see Nagasaki.

These are some general information about the city itself. Japan is one of the most developed countries in the world. We were amazed at the technology over there. In the same time, it is one of the least evangelized countries in the world. Christianity in Japan is among the nation’s minority religions. Around 1 % of the population claims Christian belief. Nagasaki was and still is ‘the Christian capital of Japan’! Christianity first arrived in Japan in 1549, when the Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier landed in the port of Nagasaki. The native Japanese accepted the Christian faith and Nagasaki became one of Asia’s most important Christian centers known as “a little Rome.”

The word Nagasaki in Japanese means ‘covered by a long cape or wrapped in a mantle’. Interestingly, the city is surrounded by hills that helped protect the people during the bombing. They absorbed much of the shock. Because of these hills, the destruction in Nagasaki was less than the bombing in Hiroshima. During the second world war Japan was on the side of Germany. They attacked the US by bombing Pearl Harbor. In retaliation, the American Government dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, to force Japan to surrender. They refused! Then a second bomb landed on Nagasaki. It was on the 9th of August 1945, at 11:02am. Six days later the emperor of Japan declared the unconditional surrender of Japan. These are the historical facts! In Nagasaki, at least 40,000 people were killed instantly and 60,000 others seriously injured. Nobody knows the total number of people who died or were affected. Combined with Hiroshima, more than 250,000 people died from the blasts. In the days and months following the explosion, more people died from their injuries. Since then, the number of birth defects and cancers has increased because of the radiation. Up to this point it is a sad story!

We went to the place called ‘ground zero’ where the bomb landed in 1945. Next to it there is a beautiful quiet garden called “Peace Park”. We saw a big statue they placed in that park. It is like a giant man whose right index points to heaven, meaning that judgment belongs to God alone. The finger is also a warning so that none should use atomic bombs again. The left hand is horizontal like telling men to have peace and to be still. One leg is resting under the body, like we should rest our bodies and souls. The second leg’s position is like getting ready to run, in case there is danger. The foundation where this statue stands is made from burnt stones collected after the bomb. Because of the bomb, it was said that no green plant will grow for the next 70 years. Against the predications, few weeks later, the oleander tree bloomed giving hope to the hopeless. Since then, the oleander is the official flower of the city of Hiroshima.

At the park there is a fountain called ‘the Water of life’. There are many flowers and beautiful works of art. There is a big statue of a mother holding her dead child. On the statue it is written 8-9-11:02 (the day and hour when the bomb fell). The biggest building at ground zero was the city prison. Everything was pulverized. What is left is only the foundation. Next to it there is a monument to the testimony of a man who survived the bomb. He was a prison warden. He was a Christian. He was talking to his boss when suddenly everything and everybody disappeared around him including his boss. He said that he felt a cloud covering him like a blanket. He survived without any injury. This is surely God’s miracle! Praise the Lord! The Catholic Cathedral was damaged but still ‘survived’ from the blast. My husband and I took a picture next to the ruins of this church. Since then they build a new one close by.

I saw that since they rebuilt the city the people decided to add a touch of beauty to everything they do. For example, on some streets, they mixed pink granite with the regular grey one. It looks like a carpet outside. I also saw that the sewage ‘man-holes’ on the streets and the metal grill covers around the trees are beautiful with flowers, each having a unique design. The city is calm and peaceful. Japan is now one of the cleanest and safest places on earth! In a world troubled by many problems, this peace should me supernatural! Praise the Lord!

What are the lessons? A sad story could have ended in eternal sadness! Hurts could have produced bitterness and stagnation. But the people decided to change their story. It takes the grace of God! The truth is that they could fall no lower than that. They humbled themselves, forgave the enemy and started a new life. You can feel the power of forgiveness in Japan, especially in Nagasaki. I have never seen a city that is perfumed with so much grace, forgiveness and peace. This is a reminder that God can change men, cities and countries. It is so good to see how, by the grace of God, good overcomes evil. It is so good to taste hope! And life! I personally needed that! Japan surprised me! Not so much the technology but seeing this peace at the end of suffering! I held that to my heart! This will be my gift from Japan! By faith, I now plant this supernatural hope in the ground of Nigeria where I live and do ministry! For with God, and willing people, all things are possible!

(In the pictures taken at Nagasaki, Japan; me at the fountain called ‘the water of life’; me in front of the pillar of the church that survived the bomb; my husband and I in front of the ruins of the church (in the background you see the newly rebuilt church); walking on a road made from grey and pink granite (just to make it beautiful); two doves at ground zero; the foundation of the prison (that is all that was left from the building); a public toilet at Peace Park (so clean and beautiful looking like a chapel); the main statue at Peace Park; one of many artistic sewage man-hole on the pavement; Oleander flowers, the symbol of Nagasaki)

A dear sister in Christ, a faithful worshipper of God, a godly wife and mother needs your prayers! She and her husband are led by the Holy Spirit to start a private business, a shop. They are almost there but not there yet. She sent me a note saying that they have to take away from their last savings. This is a work of faith. Both of them want not just a shop but a testimony too. I told them that God will not put them to shame!
“For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame!” (Rom 10:11)
This is her note to me this morning: “Dear Malia, We are now going to pull the money from our last resort fund… I’m sharing this with you because I see my heart beating like normal. Only GOD could’ve done this work in me. I used to be so fearful of being poor, not having any money, taking our kids on a dangerous ride… but the truth is… a life without trust in Jesus is dangerously comfortable in a lie. The lie is that it is your job that provides for you, or it is you that works hard to provide for you. But now I see that everything I own is from my Father in heaven, and I have great peace in knowing that He is with us. So watch me as I leap into His arms. I am confident that He will catch me. Here we go!”
Dear intercessors, please pray for them, that they will continue to remain faithful to God’s leading; that they will be re-filled with the Holy Spirit; that Jehovah Jireh will supply all that is necessary for them to start their shop. They have vowed to give God all the glory for their success! I use these couple as a point of contact that God will increase the blessings on you, as you pray for them! You too will open a shop and use it as a testimony giving glory to God! In Jesus’ name!

Recently, my husband and I (and some brethren from our church) we had an interesting trip to South Korea and Japan. We visited many beautiful places in these countries. Today I shall tell you some of my observations about the city of Nagasaki, Japan. Since I was a child I heard of Hiroshima and Nagasaki destroyed by atomic bombs at the end of the second world war. I was excited to see Nagasaki. These are some general information about the city itself.

Japan is one of the most developed countries in the world. We were amazed at the technology over there. In the same time, it is one of the least evangelized countries in the world. Christianity in Japan is among the nation’s minority religions. Around 1 % of the population claims Christian belief or affiliation. Most large Christian denominations, including Roman Catholicism, Protestantism are represented in Japan today. Since the mid-1990s, majority of Japanese people are nonreligious. Majority of the churches have less the 30 adults in attendance during services (Clearly, we need to pray for Japan!).

The word Nagasaki in Japanese means ‘covered by a long cape or a wrapped in a mantle’. Interestingly, the city is surrounded by hills that helped protect the people during the bombing. They absorbed much of the shock. Because of that the destruction in Nagasaki was less than the one in Hiroshima. Nagasaki was and still is ‘the Christian capital of Japan’! Christianity first arrived in Japan in 1549, when the Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier landed in the port of Nagasaki. The native Japanese accepted the Christian faith and Nagasaki became one of Asia’s most important Christian centers known as “a little Rome.” In 1614, a strict ban on Christianity was issued. Churches were destroyed, and Christians in Japan faced various possibilities. Some suffered exile, forbidden from ever returning. Others were martyred, refusing to renounce their faith despite, in many cases, being severely tortured.

By the 1640s, not a single priest was left in the whole of Japan. Christians in Nagasaki realized that if they, too, were to die as martyrs, the Japanese church would die with them. As persecution raged and the prospect of the Christian faith’s complete eradication from Japan became imminent, these Christians made a decision that was to have dramatic consequences over two centuries later: to continue their faith in secret. The story of the underground church is one of suffering. Throughout the ban on Christianity in Japan, people in Nagasaki were required at an annual ceremony to trample on an image of Christ or the Virgin Mary, known as a fumie, to prove they were not Christian. These ceremonies haunted the imaginations of the secret Christians, who were without priests to absolve them. Every year they would creep home and utter penitential prayers, begging God to forgive them for what was called “this most necessary of sins” (To deny Christ in public but holding to Him in the heart).

Following the opening of Japan in the mid-19th century, a Catholic church was erected in Nagasaki, the first to be built there since before the ban on Christianity. This ban remained strictly in force, and permission for the church was granted on the understanding that it was solely for use by foreigners residing within Nagasaki’s newly established foreign settlement. It was called the Oura Church. Among the secret Christians, there was silent rejoicing. By that point, they had been underground for over two hundred years. On March 17, 1865, a small group of them gathered courage and approached the church. Here they met a French priest named Father Petitjean. Kneeling before him, one whispered: “All of us have the same heart as you.” They then asked the stunned priest “Where is the statue of Saint Mary?” This moving episode became known as the “Discovery of Christians,” and today the same statue of the Virgin Mary that Father Petitjean showed them can still be seen inside the church. In the wake of this event, thousands more of secret Christians from across the Nagasaki region also came forward and confessed their faith. Later, five more churches were built in the city. Nagasaki’s churches and Christian sites are called UNESCO heritage sites. Many Christians come to see them as a form of pilgrimage. The ground they were built upon is red, from the blood shed by many Christians who refused to backslide under persecution and were martyred publicly. Their testimonies speak to us today of a resurrection that had once seemed impossible. They stand as symbols of hope, inviting us to reflect upon the power of the Blood of Jesus and the Spirit of resurrection! They encourage us to hold on to our faith, the patiently endure to the end, no matter the trials of this world! Oh, the amazing grace of God! To God be all the glory!

“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death” (Rev 12:11)

(In the picture, my husband and I, in front of the oldest Church in Nagasaki, The Oura Church, built in 1853, a national treasure in Japan. It was designed by Father Petijean. It survived even the bombing in 1945. Many secret Japanese Christians hid and came to this church during the persecution. It is also known as ‘The Church of the 26 Japanese Martyrs’. In the second picture, the interior of Oura Church)